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Dr. Shashi Tharoor on the New India Abroad: Diaspora, Soft Power & India's Global Future — Transcript

by Dr. Shashi Tharoor Official · 5,883 words · 1,197 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00[applause]
0:07>> Thank you very much for the warm
0:08welcome,
0:09the garlands, the
0:11the beautiful boat,
0:13and uh
0:14and for the very, very generous and kind
0:16words I've already heard this evening.
0:18Uh
0:18distinguished members of the India-Thai
0:21Chamber of Commerce,
0:22uh
0:24various representatives of other
0:25chambers of commerce and of the
0:27government,
0:28uh all those who are here, distinguished
0:31business leaders,
0:33maybe simply just to say, "Ladies and
0:35gentlemen, friends." I hope that covers
0:36everybody.
0:38Thank you all for having me here and
0:39it's a wish you all a very good evening.
0:43I I do think of it as a pleasure, a
0:45genuine pleasure, to be with you here in
0:48Bangkok. The leadership of the
0:50India-Thai Chamber of Commerce has been
0:51persistent for some time in uh asking me
0:54to come and they have uh
0:57really been extremely kind with their
0:59generous hospitality and warm welcome uh
1:02since I got here yesterday.
1:05I must say an institution founded in
1:061944,
1:08before India itself became independent,
1:11carries with it not merely institutional
1:13memory, but historical perspective. And
1:16in a world increasingly affected by or
1:19afflicted by short attention spans and
1:22an increasingly transactional diplomatic
1:25environment, such continuity really does
1:28matter greatly.
1:30You know, there are some cities in the
1:31world that announce themselves merely
1:33through skylines and infrastructure, but
1:36Bangkok possesses something much rarer,
1:39a civilizational soul.
1:41It's at once ancient and modern,
1:44deeply rooted, yet remarkably dynamic. A
1:47city where gilded temples stand beside
1:50towers of global commerce, where
1:52tradition does not retreat before
1:56modernity,
1:57but actually converses with it.
1:59As an Indian visiting Thailand, of
2:01course, one cannot help but feel not
2:03estrangement but familiarity, not
2:06distance but echoes. I think Ved Vyas
2:08has already mentioned Suvarnabhumi
2:10Airport as the very first sign for an
2:12Indian that he's really in some version
2:14of home.
2:16In fact, I was pointing out yesterday to
2:18friends that
2:19even the old name for Thailand, Siam or
2:21Syam, is actually from Sanskrit. It's
2:23Shyamadesha. Uh and uh and we all know
2:27about Ayutthaya being the ancient
2:28capital coming from Ayodhya and the fact
2:31that the kings of Thailand even today
2:33are actually known as King Rama. I think
2:35the Rama the 13th currently or 14th
2:38going on. So, it's a it's a long
2:39tradition and one which uh clearly
2:42connects the countries uh very, very
2:45well.
2:46Now, we have a vast area to cover today
2:49and the president has already done me
2:51the great favor of quoting me
2:52extensively on soft power. I've already
2:55spoken too much on that already. So, we
2:57agreed with the host that maybe I'll
2:59leave that for the discussion period
3:01that will follow. We have a a Q&A
3:03exchange. Um I think he's he's ably
3:06summarized the key concerns or or
3:09opportunities that soft power represents
3:12and we can talk about that some more
3:14during our our exchange in the talk.
3:16But at this time, I thought it was
3:18important to begin with the era of
3:20profound global uncertainty in which we
3:22find ourselves. When the assumptions
3:25that shaped the international order for
3:27nearly three decades are being tested
3:29simultaneously by geographical rivalry,
3:32economic fragmentation, technological
3:35disruption, and renewed contest for
3:37influence and power.
3:39The comfortable certainties of
3:40globalization have given way to a far
3:43more anxious and unpredictable world.
3:46And it's precisely in such moments of
3:48transition that partnerships like those
3:51between India and Thailand acquire
3:53renewed significance, not merely as
3:56bilateral relationships, but as anchors
3:59of stability, progress, prosperity, and
4:02strategic balance in the wider
4:04Indo-Pacific region.
4:06In fact, last year the two countries
4:08signed a strategic partnership
4:10agreement, and that means that we are
4:12now taking our relationship to an even
4:15more elevated level.
4:18So, I'd like to reflect not only on
4:19India's place in the changing world,
4:21which as I was asked to do, but also on
4:23the opportunities before countries such
4:25as ours, nations with ancient
4:27civilizations, democratic aspirations,
4:31entrepreneurial energy, and a shared
4:33stake in ensuring that Asia's future
4:36remains open, inclusive, stable, and
4:40prosperous.
4:42We meet, of course, at a moment when the
4:43international landscape is undergoing a
4:46profound transformation. The assumptions
4:48that shaped the post-Cold War world for
4:51nearly three decades are steadily
4:54eroding.
4:56The world that once spoke confidently of
4:57globalization,
4:59>> [snorts]
4:59>> economic interdependence, and the
5:01seamless movement of goods, capital,
5:04technology, and people now finds itself
5:07increasingly defined by barriers,
5:10strategic rivalry, protectionism, and
5:13increased geopolitical uncertainty.
5:16Today, economics and geopolitics cannot
5:19be viewed separately.
5:21Trade policy has become an instrument of
5:23strategic competition.
5:25Supply chains are being weaponized.
5:28Technology flows are being restricted.
5:32Tariffs have returned as tools of
5:35political leverage.
5:37The language of globalization is
5:39gradually giving way to the language of
5:41resilience, strategic autonomy, and
5:44economic security.
5:46We're witnessing the consequences of the
5:48way of the wars in the Gulf, the Iran
5:51war, and Ukraine, simultaneously rising
5:54tensions in the Indo-Pacific,
5:57disruptions
5:58to maritime trade routes, renewed great
6:01power competition, and the growing
6:04fragmentation of the global economic
6:06order.
6:07Even countries long regarded as
6:09champions of free trade are increasingly
6:12turning inward, prioritizing domestic
6:14manufacturing, supply chain security,
6:17and what is now fashionably termed
6:20friend-shoring or near-shoring.
6:22In many ways, the age of frictionless
6:25globalization is behind us.
6:28We're entering an era of strategic
6:29interdependence, where
6:32nations will continue to trade and
6:33cooperate, of course, but with far
6:36greater
6:38mutual mistrust,
6:40and far sharper calculations of national
6:43interest.
6:44For countries such as India and
6:45Thailand, this changing global
6:48environment presents both challenges and
6:51opportunities.
6:52The challenge lies in navigating
6:54instability without becoming its
6:56captive.
6:57The opportunity lies in the emergence of
7:00a more multipolar world, one in which
7:02middle powers and regional actors
7:04possess greater agency than before.
7:08India in particular has long believed in
7:10maintaining strategic autonomy in
7:12foreign policy. After 200 years of other
7:15countries deciding what we believed in
7:17the world, we would determine that
7:18nobody else would dictate to us. So, we
7:21engage widely, but align selectively. We
7:24seek partnerships without dependence,
7:27cooperation without subordination, and
7:30dialogue without surrendering sovereign
7:32choice.
7:34In an increasingly polarized world, this
7:37ability to maintain relationships across
7:39multiple geopolitical axes may well
7:42become one of India's greatest strategic
7:44advantages.
7:45It's precisely this changing global
7:47context that compels us to think more
7:50deeply about India's evolving role in
7:52the world, the future of Asian economic
7:56cooperation, and the growing importance
7:59of partnerships like the one we have
8:01between India and Thailand.
8:04It's against this backdrop of global
8:06transition that [clears throat] India's
8:08contemporary positioning acquires some
8:11significance.
8:12Today, India occupies an unusual place
8:15in the international system. We are
8:17simultaneously an ancient civilization
8:19and an emerging power,
8:21a developing country with developed
8:23world capabilities in several sectors,
8:26a democracy of continental scale
8:29navigating the opportunities and
8:31anxieties of the 21st century.
8:34At a time when many regions are
8:36experiencing political polarization,
8:39demographic stagnation, or economic
8:42slowdown,
8:43India represents a rare convergence of
8:46scale, stability, and growth.
8:50Our economy continues to expand at one
8:52of the fastest rates amongst major
8:54nations.
8:55Our demographic profile remains
8:58comparatively young. Our median age is
9:00still 29.
9:01Our digital public infrastructure
9:04has transformed financial inclusion and
9:07service delivery on a scale
9:09unprecedented in human history. We have
9:12the unique identification number given
9:15to 1.4 billion Indians. It's quite an
9:17extraordinary thing. We have
9:20the UPI payment system, which is the
9:22fastest means of getting money from one
9:24bank account to another.
9:27Swifter than Swift, as we like to tell
9:29the Americans.
9:31And our entrepreneurial ecosystem
9:32increasingly positions India not merely
9:35as a market, but as a source of
9:37innovation and talent.
9:40India's growing importance is not merely
9:42economic though, it is also strategic.
9:46In an increasingly polarized world,
9:48India retains the ability to engage
9:51meaningfully across geopolitical
9:53divides.
9:54We maintain deepening relations with the
9:56United States and Europe, long-standing
9:59historical ties with Russia, expanding
10:02partnerships in the Gulf countries and
10:04with Africa,
10:05growing engagement across the
10:07Indo-Pacific and ASEAN.
10:10This is not inconsistency, it is
10:12strategic autonomy in practice.
10:16For India, foreign policy has never been
10:17about choosing permanent sides. It has
10:20been about advancing national interests
10:22while preserving sovereign
10:24decision-making.
10:26In recent years, I've often argued that
10:28India's real strategic advantage lies
10:31precisely in its capacity for what one
10:33may call multi-alignment,
10:36the ability to sustain multiple
10:38productive relationships
10:39>> [snorts]
10:39>> across competing centers of global power
10:42without becoming excessively dependent
10:45on or vulnerable to any single one of
10:47them.
10:48This approach is especially important in
10:51Asia.
10:52The rise of China has undoubtedly
10:54altered the strategic landscape of our
10:56region.
10:57China's extraordinary economic
10:59transformation deserves acknowledgement,
11:02but its growing assertiveness, whether
11:05along contested borders as with India,
11:07in maritime spaces as with many
11:10countries in this ASEAN, or through
11:12strategic infrastructure initiatives,
11:14has also generated legitimate anxieties
11:18across many parts of the Indo-Pacific.
11:21But India is not interested in
11:22confrontation.
11:24We seek competition where it's
11:26necessary, cooperation where it's
11:28possible, and stability wherever it's
11:31achievable.
11:32We believe that Asia's future cannot be
11:35secured through dominance by any single
11:37power, but through equilibrium,
11:40mutual respect, and adherence to
11:42international norms.
11:45This is precisely why partnership with
11:47ASEAN countries, particularly Thailand,
11:50is so important for us.
11:53For India, Southeast Asia is not merely
11:55geopolitical theater, it's an
11:57indispensable pillar of the emerging
12:00Asian balance. It's a vital economic
12:03partner and a region with which we share
12:06deep civilizational and maritime
12:09connections.
12:10And that brings me, of course, to the
12:12growing importance of economic diplomacy
12:15in our time as well.
12:17Because of geopolitics, naturally,
12:19shapes economics, it follows, naturally,
12:22that economic diplomacy has become
12:24central to modern statecraft.
12:27Trade today is no longer merely about
12:28commerce. It's about technology, about
12:31supply chains, energy security, critical
12:34minerals, digital infrastructure,
12:37semiconductors, logistics corridors, and
12:40strategic resilience.
12:42Economic decisions are now inseparable
12:45from national security considerations,
12:47as well.
12:49We are living through a period, as I
12:51mentioned, in which globalization itself
12:54is being redefined. Are we in a phase of
12:56deglobalization? Of reglobalization?
13:00The jury's still out. For decades,
13:02efficiency was the governing principle
13:04of the global economy.
13:05Nations optimized supply chains for
13:07cost, speed, and scale.
13:10But recent disruptions, starting with
13:11the COVID pandemic, all the way to the
13:13recent geopolitical conflicts and tariff
13:16wars, have exposed the vulnerabilities
13:19of excessive dependence on concentrated
13:22production networks and politically
13:24fragile trade relationships. As a
13:27result, many countries are prioritizing
13:30resilience over mere efficiency.
13:33We see this clearly in the resurgence of
13:36protectionism across parts of the world.
13:39Particularly in advanced economies that
13:41once championed open markets.
13:44Tariffs, industrial subsidies, export
13:47controls, and strategic restrictions are
13:50increasingly being deployed not merely
13:53to protect domestic industries, but to
13:56pursue geopolitical objectives.
13:59For export-driven economies, this
14:00creates profound uncertainties.
14:03India itself has had to carefully
14:05reassess aspects of its economic
14:06strategy in light of these developments.
14:09Excessive dependence on a narrow range
14:11of export markets or low-value
14:14manufacturing leaves economies
14:16vulnerable to external shocks.
14:18The lesson for India is not to
14:21retreat from globalization, but to
14:23integrate more smartly into it.
14:26Our objective must therefore be twofold.
14:28Diversification of both markets and
14:31suppliers and value addition.
14:35Diversification of markets to reduce
14:37economic vulnerability to any single
14:39region and diversification of
14:41capabilities so that India moves
14:43steadily up the value chain from
14:46low-margin manufacturing towards design,
14:49innovation, advanced technology, digital
14:52services, green energy, artificial
14:55intelligence, pharmaceuticals, and
14:57sophisticated industrial production.
15:00All of this is a transformation that is
15:02already underway.
15:05India today is not merely exporting
15:06goods. It's increasingly exporting these
15:09capabilities. Digital capabilities,
15:11technological talent, entrepreneurial
15:13innovation, and development models.
15:17Our digital public infrastructure, which
15:18I've mentioned already,
15:20uh from financial inclusion systems to
15:23digital identity systems is now studied
15:25internationally as an example of
15:28scalable governance.
15:30At the same time, India's large domestic
15:32market offers an important stabilizing
15:34advantage in a turbulent world economy.
15:37If you can't sell abroad, sell at home.
15:39A growing middle class, expanding
15:41consumption, and rising technological
15:44adoption create internal economic
15:47momentum that complements external
15:49trade.
15:51But no country can navigate this
15:52changing economic global order in
15:55isolation.
15:56In the years ahead, we'll need
15:58partnerships, resilient regional
16:00partnerships. Supply chains will
16:02increasingly be regionalized.
16:04Connectivity will matter as much as
16:07production.
16:08Trusted partnerships will shape
16:09investment flows, and this is where
16:12ASEAN, one of the world's most dynamic
16:15economic regions, becomes indispensable
16:17to India's long-term strategic and
16:19economic future.
16:21You're not just a regional grouping for
16:23us.
16:24I would say that ASEAN is central to
16:27India's strategic imagination of Asia.
16:31The relationship has evolved
16:33considerably over the past three
16:35decades.
16:36What began in the early 1990s with our
16:38Look East policy, largely economic in
16:41orientation, has today matured into a
16:43more comprehensive Act East policy,
16:46which encompasses trade, connectivity,
16:49security, technology, culture, and
16:52maritime cooperation.
16:55This evolution reflects a larger
16:57geopolitical reality. The future of the
17:00Indo-Pacific will depend and be shaped
17:03significantly by the stability,
17:05prosperity, and strategic autonomy of
17:08Southeast Asia.
17:10ASEAN today sits at the crossroads of
17:12global commerce and geopolitics. Some of
17:14the world's most critical sea lanes pass
17:17through your region.
17:19Major supply chains intersect here.
17:21The balance of power in the Indo-Pacific
17:24is deeply influenced by developments in
17:26Southeast Asia and for India, ASEAN
17:30represents not only an economic
17:32opportunity but also vital partner in
17:35maintaining an open, inclusive, and
17:38rules-based regional order.
17:41India has consistently supported ASEAN
17:43centrality in the Indo-Pacific
17:45architecture.
17:46We do not view the region through the
17:48prism of block confrontation or any kind
17:51of zero-sum rivalry.
17:53Our vision is not of exclusive spheres
17:55of influence, but of cooperative
17:58multipolarity,
17:59where all countries, regardless of size,
18:02retain their sovereignty, their
18:04strategic space, their freedom of
18:06choice.
18:07This principle is especially important
18:10at a time when smaller and middle powers
18:12increasingly find themselves pressured
18:15by larger geopolitical contests.
18:19India's engagement with ASEAN therefore
18:21seeks to strengthen connectivity rather
18:23than dependency.
18:26Physical connectivity through
18:27initiatives such as the
18:29India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral
18:31Highway,
18:32um question maritime connectivity across
18:35the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea,
18:37>> [snorts]
18:37>> digital connectivity through
18:38technological partnerships, which are
18:40increasing,
18:41economic connectivity through trade,
18:44investment, tourism, education, and
18:47innovation ecosystems.
18:49All of this, I think we can explore much
18:52further and take farther.
18:54There's a deeper civilizational
18:56dimension, of course, as we've already
18:58mentioned. And
19:00I remember that the relationship between
19:02India and Southeast Asia was never in
19:05history one of conquest or coercion. It
19:08was a relationship only shaped by
19:09exchange. Exchange of ideas, exchange of
19:12faiths, of commerce, of art,
19:14architecture, and philosophy.
19:17Indian civilization traveled to
19:19Southeast Asia, not in the baggage of
19:21armies, but in the minds of monks,
19:24traders, scholars, travelers.
19:27That legacy continues to give our
19:29contemporary relationships a cultural
19:31depth rare in international affairs.
19:35At the same time,
19:37India recognizes that ASEAN nations
19:39pursue their own strategic interests
19:42with great sophistication and clarity.
19:45They do not wish to become arenas for
19:47great power competition, either.
19:49And rightly so.
19:51India's role, therefore,
19:53would not be, unlike other
19:56bigger powers,
19:58to impose their choices upon the region,
20:00but rather for us to expand our options
20:02within your region.
20:04In an area of geopolitical uncertainty,
20:07that may well be the most valuable form
20:08of partnership. And amongst all ASEAN
20:11countries, few are as naturally
20:14positioned to deepen this partnership
20:16with India than Thailand.
20:18>> [clears throat]
20:20>> I would say this this relationship with
20:21Thailand
20:23is not only important strategically and
20:25economically, but civilizationally.
20:28We are linked by far more than
20:30diplomatic protocol or commercial
20:32engagement.
20:34Ours is a relationship rooted in
20:36centuries of cultural familiarity and
20:39maritime interaction.
20:42From the influence of Buddhist tradition
20:44to the enduring resonance of the
20:45Ramayana in Thai cultural life,
20:48from linguistic and artistic exchanges
20:51to shared spiritual inheritances,
20:53the connections between our societies
20:56predate the modern nation-state itself.
21:00Was interrupted by colonialism, but we
21:03can rebuild it again.
21:05Indeed, when when one walks through by
21:08or Ayutthaya or Chiang Mai, one
21:11encounters not an alien civilization,
21:14but echoes of a shared Asian heritage,
21:16interpreted, of course, through a
21:19uniquely Thai genius sensibility and
21:22accent, which sometimes, perhaps, makes
21:25Indians think that what is familiar is
21:27not that familiar because they don't
21:28understand it when they heard it said.
21:30But when they read it, they realize uh
21:33where the the origins of these terms
21:35come from.
21:37The very vocabulary of kingship, of
21:39spirituality, of art, of classical
21:41literature in Thailand bears testimony
21:43to the centuries of intellectual and
21:46cultural exchanges that have taken place
21:48across the Bay of Bengal.
21:50These links, as I said, were never
21:52forged through conquest. There was never
21:54Indian colonialism in this part of the
21:56world, always through contact. And
21:58therefore, the merchant scholars,
22:00travelers, monks who came here, they
22:02built bridges of understanding long
22:04before modern diplomacy
22:06institutionalized relations between
22:08states.
22:10While history has given our relationship
22:12depth,
22:13the future,
22:14now I would argue, demands even greater
22:16ambition.
22:18I would argue that the truth is
22:21that India and Thailand remain, in many
22:24respects,
22:25underdeveloped
22:26in their partnership relative to their
22:29potential.
22:30Thailand stands today as one of
22:32Southeast Asia's most dynamic economies,
22:35a major manufacturing hub, a gateway to
22:37ASEAN markets, and a country with
22:40impressive capabilities in tourism, we
22:43all know that, logistics, food
22:45processing, health care, hospitality, of
22:48course, electronics, and advanced
22:52industry.
22:53India, meanwhile, offers scale, talent,
22:56technological capacity, a rapidly
22:58expanding consumer market, and growing
23:00manufacturing and digital ecosystems.
23:03That's compatibility right there.
23:06The complementarities are not just
23:07obviously visible, they're compelling.
23:10And increasingly, I would argue that the
23:12uncertain global economic environment
23:14strengthens the case for closer
23:16collaboration between our two countries.
23:20The trade imbalance
23:22uh is of course very much in Thailand's
23:24favor. I think you export $11.6 billion
23:27to us and we only export 4.2
23:31or 3 in um exports from our country to
23:35yours. But the truth is there's a
23:37tremendous potential. India obviously
23:39has extra incentive to try and redress
23:42the balance. That gives us perhaps a
23:44greater compelling need to see this
23:47partnership strengthen, but at the same
23:49time we believe we can be useful to
23:51Thailand in the process.
23:53As international supply chains undergo
23:55restructuring, businesses across the
23:57world are seeking reliability,
24:00diversification, regional resilience,
24:03and trust.
24:04This creates a historic opening for our
24:06two countries to position themselves not
24:09as isolated national economies, but as
24:12interconnected partners
24:14within a wider Asian growth
24:16architecture.
24:17There's a tremendous scope for deeper
24:20cooperation in renewable energy, for
24:22example, pharmaceuticals, where India
24:25has a significant lead, digital
24:27technologies, fintech,
24:30education, where you already have made
24:32some advances as we have as we, health
24:35care, again, in different ways we both
24:37have, tourism, where we can probably
24:39learn a lot from you,
24:41food processing, logistics,
24:44semiconductors, and advanced
24:46manufacturing.
24:47So all of these areas could be explored
24:49very much farther.
24:52Thailand's industrial sophistication and
24:54connectivity to ASEAN markets complement
24:56India's
24:58strengths in technology, in digital
24:59infrastructure, in innovation, and of
25:02course what one thing we have, human
25:04capital.
25:05The digital economy in particular offers
25:07exciting possibilities because our
25:09success in building the large-scale
25:11digital public infrastructure I talked
25:13about,
25:14digital payments, financial inclusion
25:16systems, and so on,
25:18can be of great use to you, too. 19
25:20countries have signed up to our UPI
25:22scheme. Uh Thailand could think about
25:24that. Thailand has already emerged as
25:26one of Southeast Asia's most innovative
25:28digital economies, and I know the
25:30government is spending money to support
25:32it, but imagine if we had collaboration
25:34in fintech regulation, in cybersecurity,
25:38in e-commerce ecosystems, in startup
25:40incubation, and in smart city
25:42development, we could become truly a new
25:46important joint pillar of bilateral
25:48engagement.
25:50And tourism, of course, is not just a
25:52commercial activity, as we all know.
25:54It's also an instrument of cultural
25:55diplomacy and economic integration.
25:58Millions of Indians already visiting
26:00Thailand every year, drawn not only by
26:03your hospitality and the natural beauty
26:05of your country, but by an intuitive
26:07cultural comfort.
26:09Equally, I would argue that India also
26:12offers enormous opportunities for Thai
26:14tourism that have not been developed.
26:16You've got people flying to the Buddha
26:18circuit in Bodh Gaya, but that seems to
26:20be the limit of Thai tourists'
26:22adventures in India.
26:24There's so much they could come for. Of
26:25course, our own countries' natural
26:28wonders, our historic sites, our
26:29wellness industries. We've talked about
26:32Buddhist pilgrimages, that's fine, but
26:33what about medical tourism? What about
26:35cultural experiences? What about even
26:37educational exchange? Thai students in
26:39Indian universities and Indian students
26:41here.
26:42Enhanced connectivity, physical,
26:44digital, and cultural, can all
26:46significantly deepen people-to-people
26:48ties between our our countries.
26:52Connectivity itself will play a
26:53transformative role in the coming
26:55decades.
26:56Prospects and projects such as the the
26:59highway that I mentioned, the trilateral
27:01highway, it's been slow in coming up
27:03because of the Myanmar situation, but
27:05they do carry great significance even
27:08beyond infrastructure. They would, when
27:10completed, realize the
27:12represent the physical realization of a
27:15larger strategic vision, the seamless
27:18integration of South Asia
27:20with Southeast Asia by land.
27:23For India, particularly for our
27:24northeastern states, improved
27:26connectivity with Thailand and with the
27:29rest of ASEAN through Thailand can
27:31become a powerful engine of economic
27:33growth, trade expansion, regional
27:35development. One must remember that
27:37connectivity is never just about roads
27:39and ports. It's about opportunities.
27:42When you're connected, more
27:43opportunities open up.
27:45It's about enabling commerce, tourism,
27:47investment, educational exchange, human
27:50interactions.
27:51Infrastructure at its best is diplomacy
27:55in concrete and tar. It can be done, and
27:58it should be.
28:00Maritime cooperation similarly deserves
28:02far greater attention than it often
28:04receives.
28:05The Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea
28:07are no longer peripheral maritime
28:09spaces.
28:10They are rapidly emerging as strategic
28:12corridors of commerce, of connectivity,
28:15energy flows, security cooperation uh
28:18within the wider Indo-Pacific region.
28:21As geopolitical competition intensifies
28:24across maritime Asia, India and Thailand
28:27share a common interest in ensuring that
28:29these waters remain open,
28:31stable, secure, and governed by
28:35international law.
28:37Now, this naturally creates
28:38opportunities for deeper collaboration
28:40in maritime security issues, blue
28:43economy initiatives, coastal
28:45sustainability, humanitarian assistance
28:48in the region, disaster relief
28:50coordination, marine research, and
28:52environmental protection. Why haven't we
28:55done all this yet? We still can.
28:58Climate change also represents
29:00respects new new national borders,
29:03rising sea levels, extreme weather
29:05events, ecological degradation are
29:08threatening all coastal societies alike,
29:10yours as well as ours. You've had a
29:12tsunami, we've had a tsunami. We've had
29:14problems in both our countries.
29:16Regional cooperation, I think, is
29:17therefore not an option for us.
29:19And [snorts] this is also why BIMSTEC
29:22has grown in in importance for India.
29:26We've had to deemphasize the South Asian
29:28Association because of
29:30geopolitical problems with our western
29:32neighbor, but in the east, BIMSTEC has
29:35actually meant we've been able to
29:37solidify our partnership with Thailand
29:40in a larger subregional grouping.
29:42Equally important is the role of
29:44institutions such as the India-Thai
29:47Chamber of Commerce, which serve not
29:49merely, I would say, as commercial
29:51facilitators, but as bridges between our
29:53societies.
29:55Governments may create frameworks and
29:57agreements, but it's all of you,
29:59entrepreneurs, innovators, investors,
30:01and institutions [laughter] like this
30:03ITCC,
30:05that actually transform diplomatic
30:07goodwill into tangible economic
30:09benefits.
30:10In many ways, business communities often
30:13move faster than governments.
30:15They identify opportunities before
30:17policy makers fully recognize them. They
30:19build trust through practical
30:21engagement. They create networks of
30:23familiarity and confidence upon which
30:26enduring partnerships are ultimately
30:29constructed. The fact that you are here
30:31is an advantage to both governments if
30:34they want to get closer.
30:36So, I believe the time has come now for
30:38India and Thailand to think ambitiously.
30:41Our relationship should not be confined
30:43to managing existing ties.
30:45It should aspire to shaping the future
30:47architecture of Asian cooperation
30:50itself.
30:51Geography has made us neighbors across
30:54the Bay of Bengal. History has made us
30:56civilizational partners.
30:58The demands of the 21st century that
31:00I've described to you
31:02>> [snorts]
31:03>> must now make us strategic collaborators
31:05in shaping the future of the wider
31:08Indo-Pacific region.
31:10And if we approach this partnership with
31:12sufficient imagination and ambition, I
31:14have little doubt that the best chapters
31:17of the India-Thailand relationship still
31:19lie ahead of us.
31:22Now, of course, we're hearing a lot
31:23these days, particularly from foreign
31:25capitals, about the Indo-Pacific.
31:27Sometimes so much so that the risk is
31:29that it becomes the phrase itself
31:31becomes more a slogan than a strategy.
31:34For India, however, the Indo-Pacific is
31:36not an abstract geopolitical construct
31:39coming out of Washington think tanks. It
31:41is a lived geographical reality. Our
31:43trade, our energy flows, our maritime
31:46security, indeed much of our economic
31:48future depends on the stability of these
31:51waters stretching from the eastern coast
31:54of Africa to the western Pacific.
31:57Nearly all major Asian economies are
32:00connected through the maritime space
32:02within the Indo-Pacific.
32:04Disruptions anywhere along these routes,
32:07whether through conflict, coercion,
32:09piracy, or instability, reverberates
32:12across global commerce.
32:14We have seen this repeatedly in recent
32:16years, from supply chain disruptions
32:18during the pandemic to growing anxieties
32:21over maritime checkpoints and freedom of
32:23navigation.
32:25India's approach to the Indo-Pacific is
32:27guided by a few simple principles.
32:30First, the region must remain open and
32:33inclusive.
32:35No country should seek dominance over
32:38the Indo-Pacific and no nation large or
32:40small should be denied the opportunity
32:43and the freedom to pursue its legitimate
32:45interests.
32:47Second,
32:48sovereignty and territorial integrity
32:50must be respected.
32:52Rules cannot apply selectively depending
32:55on the size of power of the country
32:57involved.
32:59Third, connectivity initiatives must be
33:02transparent, financially sustainable,
33:05and mutually beneficial.
33:07Infrastructure should strengthen
33:09regional prosperity, not create
33:11unsustainable dependencies.
33:15And finally, maritime cooperation must
33:18extend beyond security alone.
33:21The Indo-Pacific is not just a theater
33:23of strategic competition, it is also a
33:25space for collaboration on disaster
33:27relief, on climate resilience, on
33:30sustainable development, and of course
33:32on blue economy initiatives and
33:34humanitarian assistance, all of which
33:36we've needed to do at different times in
33:38Myanmar, parts of Indonesia, and so on,
33:40and we could do together in so many
33:42ways.
33:44India's own vision, articulated through
33:46initiatives,
33:48one that we call Sagar, which actually
33:50means sea, but also stands as an acronym
33:53for security and growth for all in the
33:55region,
33:57reflects precisely this philosophy.
33:59We seek partnerships that enhance
34:01collective stability rather than deep
34:04rivalries.
34:05I believe countries such as India and
34:07Thailand have a particularly important
34:09role to play in shaping this balance.
34:13We are not revisionist powers seeking to
34:16overturn the international order through
34:18force, nor are we passive observers of
34:21other people's efforts to transform our
34:23region.
34:24We are stakeholders in an Asia that
34:27remains stable, multipolar, connected,
34:31and prosperous.
34:33Perhaps that is the critical challenge
34:35before our generation of policy makers
34:37and business leaders alike. Ensuring
34:40that the Indo-Pacific emerges not as a
34:43battleground of competing hegemonies,
34:46but as a cooperative space where
34:48commerce flourishes, sovereignty is
34:50respected, and strategic equilibrium
34:53prevails.
34:55In the final analysis, however,
34:57a [clears throat] nation's influence in
34:59the world
35:00is shaped not only by the size of its
35:03economy or the strength of its military,
35:05but also by the power of its example.
35:09One of India's greatest strengths has
35:11always been its extraordinary pluralism.
35:14Few countries of continental scale have
35:17attempted, with all the imperfections
35:19and complexities inherent in democracy,
35:22to accommodate such immense diversity of
35:25languages, faiths,
35:27ethnicities, cultures, and traditions
35:30within a single constitutional
35:33framework.
35:34This diversity, I believe, is not a
35:37weakness to be managed. It is a
35:39strategic asset to be protected and to
35:41be promoted. It gives India a unique
35:43capacity to engage across civilizations,
35:46across regions, across political
35:47cultures. It strengthens our soft power,
35:50as the president mentioned earlier this
35:53evening. It enhances our credibility in
35:55the developing world, and it enforces
35:57the moral authority with which India
36:00speaks on issues of democracy,
36:02sovereignty, and international
36:04cooperation.
36:06I've often believed that India's
36:08civilizational confidence comes not from
36:10uniformity, but from the coexistence we
36:13celebrate, from our ability to absorb
36:16influences without losing our identity,
36:18and to remain open without becoming
36:21rootless.
36:22That openness has long shaped India's
36:24engagements with the world,
36:27Whether through our diaspora, our
36:29educational institutions, our cultures,
36:32our technology sector, or indeed the
36:34global affection that exists for Indian
36:36cinema, Bollywood, cuisine, yoga, and
36:40literature, India's international
36:43presence extends well beyond our formal
36:46diplomacy.
36:48Soft power, of course, can never replace
36:50hard power, but in an interconnected
36:52world, it undeniably amplifies
36:55influence.
36:57Thailand, too, understands the
36:58importance of balancing tradition with
37:00modernity, heritage with innovation.
37:04Perhaps that is one reason our societies
37:07instinctively relate to one another.
37:11At a time when many parts of the world
37:13are turning inward, becoming more
37:15polarized, more protectionist, and
37:18sometimes more intolerant,
37:20countries such as ours carry a special
37:22responsibility
37:23to demonstrate that economic progress
37:25and cultural openness need not be
37:28contradictory.
37:29That national pride need not require
37:32hostility towards others. That stable
37:35societies are built not through
37:37exclusion, but through confidence in the
37:39strength of their own institutions and
37:42civilizations.
37:44As international order undergoes strain,
37:47we're seeing the important shift of the
37:50visibility and growing assertion of the
37:52so-called global south.
37:54For too long, the concerns of developing
37:56countries were often treated as
37:58secondary in global decision-making.
38:01Issues such as debt vulnerability,
38:03unequal access to technology,
38:06climate injustice, food insecurity, and
38:08developmental financing rarely receive
38:12receive the urgent attention that they
38:14really deserved.
38:16Yet for billions of people across Asia,
38:18Africa, Latin America, these are not
38:21peripheral concerns. They are
38:23existential ones.
38:26India has sought in recent years to
38:27articulate these concerns with greater
38:30clarity on the international stage.
38:32Whether during our G20 presidency or
38:36[snorts] in discussions on climate
38:37responsibility or in conversations about
38:40reforming multilateral institutions like
38:43the UN,
38:44India has consistently argued that the
38:46world cannot be governed effectively
38:48through frameworks designed for a very
38:51different era.
38:52The voices of emerging economies and
38:54developing societies must carry greater
38:57weight in shaping global outcomes.
39:00But leadership in the global south
39:02cannot merely be rhetorical.
39:05It must also be practical. It requires
39:08building development partnerships,
39:10sharing technological capabilities,
39:12expanding educational opportunities,
39:15strengthening healthcare cooperation.
39:17Many of you will remember India's
39:19vaccine diplomacy during COVID when many
39:21developing countries received vaccines
39:23from India.
39:25Creating more economic
39:27more equitable economic arrangements.
39:30So India's development partnerships
39:32across Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast
39:35Asia, the Indian Ocean region, all this
39:38increasingly reflects the philosophy
39:40I've tried to summarize for you.
39:42And there I would say India and Thailand
39:44have an absolutely indispensable
39:47opportunity.
39:49We may not individually command the
39:50overwhelming economic dominance of
39:53certain major superpowers, but
39:55collectively we can shape norms,
39:58institutions, and regional stability
40:01through cooperation, credibility, and
40:04strategic moderation.
40:07Indeed one of the defining features of
40:09the emerging world order may well be the
40:11growing importance of countries that can
40:14build bridges rather than build blocks.
40:18Countries capable of engaging across
40:20divides, reducing tensions, and creating
40:24spaces for constructive engagement
40:26amid increasing polarization.
40:30That I believe is where our two nations
40:32can make a meaningful contribution to
40:35the future of Asia and indeed of the
40:37wider world.
40:40Now, I think we are
40:41taking more time than I intended to, so
40:43I will try and bring this to a
40:45conclusion. We're all like Egyptian
40:46mummies, we are wrapped strapped for
40:48time. So,
40:50uh let me just say that
40:52in my view, history
40:54rarely moves in straight lines.
40:56Periods of stability are often followed
40:59by moments of turbulence. Moments of
41:02uncertainty
41:04in turn create opportunities for renewal
41:07and reinvention.
41:09We're living in many ways through such a
41:10period today. The international order is
41:13becoming more fragmented as I said,
41:15economic nationalism is rising,
41:17strategic rivalries are intensifying,
41:20technology is transforming societies
41:22faster than governments can regulate
41:25them, and across much of the world,
41:27there is a growing anxiety about what
41:29the future may hold.
41:31But Asia, despite all its complexities,
41:34remains one of the great centers of
41:35optimism in the 21st century.
41:38This is where growth is taking place,
41:40this is where innovation is
41:42accelerating, and this is where new
41:44ideas, new markets, new technologies,
41:47and new generations are shaping and
41:50reshaping the global economy.
41:52Within this larger story,
41:55it's an Asian story. Countries like
41:57India and Thailand have a particularly
41:59important role to play.
42:02We're not just the inheritors of ancient
42:04civilizations I've celebrated today,
42:06we're also participants in building the
42:08future for those who will inherit it
42:10from us.
42:12The India-Thailand relationship
42:13therefore cannot remain confined to
42:16ceremonial goodwill or periodic
42:18diplomatic engagement. It must evolve
42:21into a genuinely forward-looking
42:23partnership.
42:24One that connects our economies,
42:26strengthens our maritime cooperation,
42:29expands educational and technological
42:31exchanges,
42:33deepens our cultural understanding, and
42:36creates opportunities for the next
42:37generation of entrepreneurs, of
42:39innovators, scholars, citizens,
42:41tourists.
42:43And of course, young people are
42:44indispensable to this transformation.
42:48The future of our relationship will not
42:49ultimately be shaped only in government
42:51ministries or diplomatic meetings.
42:54It will be shaped in universities, in
42:56startups, in research labs, in digital
42:59platforms, in investment corridors,
43:02in tourism networks, and in
43:04people-to-people exchanges.
43:07It will be shaped by young Indians and
43:09young Thais who increasingly see one
43:11another not as distant neighbors, but as
43:13partners in a shared Asian future.
43:17That is what I would argue can be the
43:19most encouraging aspect of our present
43:22moment.
43:24For all the anxieties surrounding
43:26geopolitics that I've described, the
43:28extraordinary possibilities are also
43:31extremely
43:33inspiring.
43:34Never before in human history have
43:37nations possessed such a capacity for
43:39connectivity, for collaboration, for
43:41shared prosperity.
43:43The challenge is of course to ensure
43:45that wisdom keeps pace with power.
43:48I believe deeply that the Indo-Pacific
43:50region need not become an arena of
43:54rivalry and competition. It can and
43:57should instead become a model of
43:59cooperative coexistence. A region where
44:02economic growth is matched by strategic
44:04stability, where connectivity does not
44:07produce dependence, where prosperity is
44:10shared, not hoarded.
44:13And India's own vision for the future
44:15remains anchored in precisely this
44:17belief, that progress is most
44:19sustainable when it is inclusive,
44:22that partnerships are strongest when
44:24they are based on mutual respect,
44:26stability is best preserved when nations
44:30retain
44:31>> [snorts]
44:32>> both confidence in themselves and
44:34openness towards others.
44:37Thailand, with its remarkable
44:38resilience, sophistication, and
44:40strategic importance, will undoubtedly
44:42remain an essential partner for India in
44:46that journey.
44:48As we look ahead, therefore,
44:49let us not think merely in terms of
44:51agreements signed or trade volumes
44:54achieved, though we're going to try and
44:55improve those trade volumes.
44:57Let us think instead in terms of the
44:59larger arc of history
45:01that we wish to help shape together.
45:04A century from now, perhaps, when future
45:06generations look back at this period of
45:08global transition,
45:10I hope they will say that our two
45:12nations responded not with fear,
45:15narrowness, or retreat,
45:17but with confidence, imagination, and
45:20cooperation.
45:22Because ultimately the future does not
45:24belong to nations that isolate
45:26themselves from the world.
45:28The future belongs instead to those with
45:30the courage to engage
45:32constructively,
45:34the wisdom to navigate it prudently,
45:38and the vision to shape it collectively.
45:42India and Thailand, as I've tried to
45:44explain during the last 40 minutes,
45:47are fully capable of doing exactly that.
45:51[clears throat]
45:51Thank you very much. I look forward to
45:53the question

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